Conveyer system



NOV. ll, 1930. J, T CQWLEY E1- AL 1,781,655

CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed Jan. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l j NOV- l1, 1930- J. T. cowLl-:Y ET AL 1,781,655

)hr ss l CONYEYER SYSTEM Filed Jan. 6, 1928 2 sheets-sheer z Patented Nov. ll, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES T. COWLEY, F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AND WILLIAM- J. TAYLOR, OF WIN- THROI HARBOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHSETTS CONVEYER SYSTEM Application led January 6, 1928. Serial No. 244,857.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in conveyer systems.

The main object of this invention is to provide means whereby a large number of unloading stations may be utilized by a tripping mechanism which occupies the minimum amount of space.

AAnother object is to provide and use a plurality of trip arms which actuate a like num- 19 ber of rocker arms to operate a load-carrying latch when all of said rocker arms are in cooperative alinement with the trip arms.

A further object is to provide a plurality of latch operating members, each member having a plurality of settings or positiomngs along a common support and one or more of the members to have one or more different settings or positionings to `each setting or positioning of the remainingmember.

A still further object is to provide a conveyer mechanism with a plurality of rocker arms which are actuated by a like number of trip arms positioned in cooperative alinement therewith at one of a plurality of unloading stations located at intervals along the conveyer system to operate a load-carrying latch to deposit its load at said unloading station, while the load-carrying latch will be unel'ected at all unloading stations where only one or any portion of the total number of rocker arms are actuated by the trip arms.

Other objects and advantages relating to the details of the structure, and the form and relation of the parts thereof, will more fully appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which c Figure 1 is a detail side elevation, partially in section of the conveyer system at one of the unloading stations showing the movements of the rocker arms and latch mechanism as the car passes the trip arms. l

Figure 2 is a horizontal detail section, taken in the plane of line 2--2, Figure v.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section, taken in the plane of line 3--3, Figure 1.

Our invention consists of a continuous horizontal track 1-, U-shaped in cross section, and supported by suitable brackets -2- secured to any convenient support such aS-to one of the vertical su ports -3- of the conveyer frame. Positioned in the bottom of the track -land secured thereto is a rectangular shaped wear piece 4 over which a shoe -5- secured in spaced relation tothe lower side of an endless sprocket chain -6- passes as the chain is driven about its course by any suitable means such as a sprocket wheel and pulley driven from an electric motor and belt (not shown) The endless track -1- may-be so constructed throughout its length as to accommodate the requirements of the work to be performed, such as to curve about corners in passlng from one room to another, or from one workman to another, stationed at different localities in the room or building, and to facilitate the free and easy movement of the chain 6- about these curves or bends in the track -1- and also to maintain the vertical positvion of said chain and the car -7- carried thereby.

The track -1- is provided with vertical upwardly extending side walls -8- between which the chain -6- is guided by the spacing rollers -9- mounted on the link connecting pins -10- of the chain -6.

Load conveying cars -7- positioned at convenient intervals along the chain 6 consist of a vertical side frame -11- posi-n tioned a short distance from the front side of the track -1- and having a rearwardly extending horizontal arm -12- which extends -from the upper end of the side frame -11-- across the upper face of the track -1- and a short distance therefrom for clearance while the rear end of the arm 12- terminates in an upwardly projecting bearing 13- in coaxialv alinement with a similar bearing -14- formed at the upper front face of the vertical side frame -11-.

The car -7- is moved along the track 1 by means of the chain 6 and is secured thereto by meansof screws -18- which clamp the horizontal arm -12- of said car to the adjacent upper connect-4 ing link of the sprocket chain -6.

horizontal shaft l5- substantially square in cross section, is journaled in the bearings -13- and 14.- and has. in. this instance, two radial rock arms -16 and -17- adjustably mounted thereon between the bearings -13- and I4- to be in cooperative alinement with two vertical tri arms -18- and -19 respectively, which are secured at their upper ends by nuts -20- to a horizontal supporting bar -21- which extends across the track -1- at right angles to the longitudinal center line thereof and at some distance above the plane of travel of the rock shaft k15-, said bar 21 being held in its proper position by screws or rivets Q2- which secure the downwardly extending ends -23* thereof to the upper ends of the vertical supports -3-.

The supporting bar -2l-- has two rows of holes -24- and 25 in` spaced relation extending lengthwise thereof across the line of travel of the rocker arms -16- and --17-. The row Q5- is positioned ahead of the row Q4- so that by securing one of the trip arms -18- to the bar -21- at one of the holes *24- and the trip arm 19- to the bar 2lat one of the holes -25- located between the` positioned trip arm -18- and the outward end of the supporting bar 21- and having the rock arms -16- and -17- in cooperative alinement with the trip arms -18 and 1Q- respectively, it is then evident that the rock arm -16-, which is normally held in avertical upwardly extended position, will first engage the trip arm -18- and be rocked rearwardly as the car -7 is moved along the track to the shaft m15 and carrying they rock arm --17-, which normally extends forward and at an an le to the trip arm -16-.

tating movement of the shaft -l5- and a latch actuating plunger cam -25- secured by screw -26- to the outer end of the shaft 15-.

The normal lower face of the cam '-25'- is concentric with the shaft -15 for a short distance so that practically no movementis imparted to the latch-actuating plunger -27 during the rotating movement imparted to the shaft -15 by the rock arm -16 so that the continued rotating movement of the shaft -15- and cam -25- produced by the rock arm -17- is necessary to force the plunger -27- downward a sufficient distance to actuate the movable jaw of the load-carrying latch -28- to release the load. l

The plunger -27 is a vertical rod slidably mounted in bearings -29- mounted on the outer face of the car frame -lland has a roller 30- rotatably mounted on a shaft -31- secured to the upper end of said plunger, the roller being held in contact with the face of the cam -25- by a spring 32 coiled about the plunger Q7-pd and positioned between the lower bearing -29- and a spring-retaining washer -33- positioned on the plunger -27- a short distance below the upper bearing 29-.

The lower end of the car side frame -11- terminates in rearwardly projecting horizontal forked arms -34- positioned a short distance below the track -1 and having two downwardly projecting arms or latch jaws -35- having the lower .inner face thereof tapered outwardly. A movable latch member 36- is rotatably mounted on a shaft -37- secured to the upper inner ends of the forked arms'-34. Said movable latch member is positioned between the arms 34- and is provided with a downwardly projecting jaw -38- with the lower inner face thereof tapered outwardly.

The tapered inner faceof the movable jaw -38- cooperates with the inner tapered face of the fixed jaws 85 to form an inverted V-shaped opening 39 and a guide to assist the operator in placing the load-carrying member -40- into the jaws w85- and -38. At the upper termination of the tapered face of the movable jaw -38- is located a semi-circular opening -41 which formsV a shoulder 42- between which and a rearwardly projecting arm -43-, located on the fixed jaws -35- ashort distance above said shoulder, the load-carrying member -40- is locked during transportation. The movable latch member -36- is also provided with a radial arm 44- which projects outward from the axis of said latch member to a position just below the lower end of the plunger -27 and is acted upon by said plunger to open the jaw -38 and release the load-Carrying member -40A-.

The movable jaw -38 is held in its normal closed position by a retracting spring -45- having its lower end secured to the radial arm 44:- and its upper end fastened to a pin -46- mounted on the vertical frame -11-.

The load-carrying member -40- may consist of a receptacle for carrying articles of merchandise or the like, or as in this instance consists of an ordinary garment hanger having the usual elongated body portion -47- with a hook-shaped carrying member -48- secured to the center thereof In operation inthis particular construction, an operator places a garment upon the hanger 4()- and forces the hook member ,--48- thereof up in the opening --29-lbetween the latch vjaws -35- and -38-, forcing the movable jawn-38+- outwardly until said .hook member passes above the shoulder 4Q- when the movable `jaw -38- is returned to its normal closed position by the spring -45-, thereby locking the hanger -40- and -its load to the car -7- and after the rock-arms -l-and --17- have been positioned, either by hand or by a manually operated setting machine, to. be in cooperative alinement with the triparms -18- and -19- respectively located at a remote predetermined unloading station; the car -11- with its load is carried along the track -1- by the movement of the chain -6- past the intervening unloading stations where none, or only one of the trip-arms -18- and -19--will be in cooperative alinement with the rock-arms -16- and -17, and if a trip arm is in alinement with the rock-arm 17, said rockarm being normally below the lower end of the trip arm -19- will pass through without being actuated thereby, and if it is the rock-arm -16- with which the trip-arm is in alinement, then said rock-arm -16- will be carried rearward by the trip-arm -18-- as the car -7- travels beneath the bar -21- and will rotate the shaft -15- and the cam -25-, but not suiciently to move the plunger -27-, as previously explained, and as soon as the rock-arm -16- has passed'the trip-arm V18--, the spring 482- coiled about the shaft l5- and having one end secured in the frame -11- and the other fastened to a stop-rod 4Q- secured to the shaft -15-, will lrestore the rock-arm -16, shaft -15- and cam #-25- to their normal positions.

Upon the car -11- reaching the selected unloading station first the rock-arm -16- will engage the trip-arm -18- and be carried rearward, rocking the .rock-arm -17- into position to be carried rearward by the trip-arm w19- thereby rotating the cam .5- to force the plunger H27- down on the arm -44- suiciently to open the movable latch jaw and release the garment hanger 4U- and its load from the car -7 and deposit them upon the upper end of an inclined unloading station hanger support down which the hanger 4C- and its load will gravitate to be out of theV path of the succeeding cars as they travel about the conveyer circuit.

T he unloading station hanger support consists of a base portion -51- secured to any convenient support, such as the vertical support -3-, by screws -52-. The base -51- is provided with an outward upwardly projecting arm -53- having one end of an extended arm -54- pivotally connected by a bolt -55- to the outward end of the member -53- while the opposite end of the arm -54- extends to and is normally held just below the plane. of travel of the latch jaws 35- and -38- in position to receive the load-carrying member- 40" as it is released from said latch jaws. One side of the head of a T-shape stop member -56- is secured to the rear side of the swinging arm -54- near its lower end, while the other side of the head-piece extends along the rear side of the stationar member 5B- to limit the rearward swinging movement of the arm -54 VOne end of a retracting spring -57- is clamped under the head of the adjacent screw -52-, while the other end is connected to the outer end of the tailpiece -58- and holds the arm 54+ in its normal load receiving position, at the same time permitting the arm -54- to be swung forward about the pivot -55- by the loadcarrying member 40- to permitthe passing of said carrying member at all unloading stations except when said station is selected to receive the load, the arm 54 being returned each time to its normal receiving position by the spring --57-.

It is now evident that a large number of different settings of the rock-arms 1G- and -17- and trip-arms -18- and -19- may be had, andtherefore, a greater number of unloading stations employed in proportion to the amount of space occupied by the latch-releasing mechanism.

For example, the trip arm 18- may be secured in the first hole Q4- at' the rear of the first row of holes, while the trip arm 1Q- may be secured in the second hole -25 from the rear in the second row of holes at the first unloading Station. At the second unloading station the trip arm will be secured in the first hole -24 at the rear of the first row of holes, while the trip-arm -19- is secured to the third hole -25- from the rear end of the second row, and at the third unloading station the trip arm is secured to the first hole *Q4- at the rear end of the firs-t row of holes and the trip arm -19- is secured at the fourth hole -25- in the second row of holes, and so on at each station until the trip arm -19- has been secured to the last or front hole Q5- of the second row of holes, where at the next succeeding unloading station the trip arm -18- will be secured in the second hole Q4- from the rear end of the first row of holes, and the trip arm -19- is secured in the third hole -25-- from the rear end of the second row of holes, while at the next unloading station the trip arm -18 will again be secured to the second hole 24- and the trip arm -19- will be secured to the Vfourth hole Q5- in the second row, and lthis method of setting the trip arms 18 and 19 may continue until the trip arm -18- has been secured in all the holes 24- in the first row of holes.

Altho in the specification we have described the use of a plurali-ty of pins carried by an article to be conveyed for cooperative contact with a plurality of trip arms or fingers so that the additional mechanism will be actuated only when a plurality of contact members come into contact with respective trip arms for the. purpose of obtaining various combinations to permit the use of a multiplicity of discharging stations by various adjustments of the contact members and trip arms, it will be apparent that we do not desire to restrict ourselves to the use of two pins in connection with two trip arms, as various munbers of pins may be used in connection with a similar number of trip arms to effect the desired numberoi:l different combinations. The basic idea of this invention consists in the use of a plurality 'of contact members whereby some additional mechanism is actuated only when two or more of these con-tact members come into contact with respective trip arms.

And altho we have shown and particular- 1y described the preferred embodiment of oul' invention, we do not Wish to be limited to the exact details of construction shown, as various changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A conveying apparatus comprising means for conveying an article, a plurality of rockable contact members carried by said means, a plurality of trip arms adapted to be arranged in the path of movementof said members for contact therewith, and additional mechanism actuated only when a plurality of said members contact with their respective trip arms.

2. A conveyer system comprising a plurality of rockable Contact members, a plurality of co-acting trip arms, and mechanism actuated only when a. plurality of said contact members contact withrespective trip arms.

3. A conveyer system coniprisingr a rock shaft, a plurality of contact members carried thereby, a plurality of coacting trip arms, and mechanism actuated by the rocking ot said shaft only when a plurality ot con-tact members come into contact with their respective trip arms.

4t. A conveyer system comprising a rock shaft, means for conveying the rock shatt, a plurality ot contact members carried by therock sha-tt, a plurality of trip arms for cooperation with respective contact members, and means actuated by the rock shaft when a plurality of said contact members Contact with their respective trip arms for delivering an article at a station.

5. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, a plurality ot rockable contact members carried by said means,-

a plurality of stationary trip members adapted to be arranged in the path of movement of said contact members, and additional mechanism actuated only when a plurality of said members contact with their respective trip members.

6. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, a plurality of trips adapted to be arranged adjacent the path of movement of said means, and contact members carried by such means to coact with certain of said trips, one at least of said contact members being normally in a non-trip coacting position and being temporarily brought into such position by the coaction of another member With a trip.

7. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, a plurality of trips adapted to be arranged adjacent the path of movement of said means, and contact members carried by such means to coact with certain of said trips, certain of said contact members being normally in a position in which nolcoaction with a trip is possible and being brought into such position by the trip coaction ot' other contact members. and mechanism actuated solely upon the trip coaction engagement of such normally inoperative members.

8. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, a plurality of trips adapted to be arranged adjacent the path of movement of said means, and contact members carried by such means to coact with certain of said trips, one of said Contact members being normally in a trip coacting position and another of said members being normally in a non-trip coacting position, and means connecting'said members whereby the coaction of the first contact member With a trip brings the other contact member into trip-coacting position.

9. A conveyer system comprising a plurality of rockable contact members, a plurality of trip arms adapted to coact with said members, certain of said members being normally in the coacting position and others normally in non-coacting positions and connections between said members whereby the coaction of the first brings the second into coacting position, and mechanism operable only when the contact members coact with the trip members.

10. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, unloading stations along the path of travel of the means, a plurality of trips at each station and a plurality of contact members on said` means adapted to coact with the trips at a. predetermined station, aml i'nechanism operable by said contact members for releasing the article from said means upon the successive coaction of said members with the trips at that station.

1l. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, unloading stations along the path of travel of the means, a pair of stationary trips at each station, a pair of contact members on said means adapted to coact with such trips, one member being normally in the trip-coacting position, the other being normally in a non-trip-coacting position, connections between said members whereby) the coaction ofthe first member with a trip rings the second into trip-coacting position, and mechanism for releasing the article from said means, which mechanism is operable by the coaction of said second member with its trip.

l2. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, unloading stations along the path of travel of the means, a pair of stationary trips spaced longitudinally of the path at each station, a pair of contact members on said means adapted t`o coact with both the trips at a predetermined station, one member beingnormally in the trip-coacting position, the other heilig normally in a non-trip-coacting position, connections between said members whereby the coaction of the first member with a trip brings the second member into trip-coacting position, and mechanism for releasing the article from said means, which mechanism is actuated solely by the successive coactions ot the contact members with station.

13. A conveyer system comprising means for conveying an article, unloading stations the trips at a predetermined along the path of travel of the means, a pair of stationary trips spaced longitudinally and laterally of the path at each station, a pair of contact members on said means adapted to coact with both the trips at a predetermined station, one member` being normally in the trip-coacting position, the other being normally in a non-trip-coacting position, connections between said members whereby the coaction of the first member with a trip brings the second member into trip-coacting position, and mechanism for releasingthe article from said means, which mechanism is actuated solely by the successive coactions of the contact members with the trips at a predetermined station.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this third day of January, 1928.

JAMES T. COWLEY. WILLIAM J. TAYLOR. 

